Kandhamal Commission Files Missing: Odisha Govt Faces Heat

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is scrambling to recover crucial files from the Kandhamal Commission report after revelations that key documents have gone missing from the Chief Minister’s Office.

The files pertain to the 2008 murder of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and the subsequent communal violence in Kandhamal district.

Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari confirmed that forensic teams are attempting to retrieve deleted data from the commission’s hard disks. If recovery fails, authorities may consider compiling a fresh record.

Justice A.S. Naidu, who completed the inquiry after Justice Mahapatra’s death, still holds manuscripts and witness statements, while the final report was submitted in two parts years ago.

The government is pursuing two tracks: locating the physical report through police investigation and recovering digital files.

Pujari assured that legal action would follow if deliberate destruction is proven.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Prasanna Acharya accused the government of staging political drama, alleging that officials were aware of the missing files long ago but raised the issue now to deflect criticism.

The controversy has reignited public concern over one of Odisha’s most sensitive communal episodes, with uncertainty over whether the original findings will be restored or lost to political sparring.